CLEARWATER, Fla. – Ryan Howard sauntered into the cafeteria at Bright House Field, all smiles, and talked for nearly 20 minutes. He laughed at points. He was combative at others. His words, however, rang hollow.

"We've had a bad couple years and had injuries and all that stuff, but I don't think it's over," Howard said Saturday of the Phillies and the proverbial "window" in which they have to win another World Series title.

They are essentially the same words he said last year: he is healthy, the Phillies will be better, and he's confident about that. They are coming off a disastrous season, just as they were last spring.

Who knows? His proclamations could come true, and the Phillies could be prancing into the playoffs come October. But we have all been here before. The story, if it follows the same script, does not end well.

"How do I think it'll be different? I mean it's just a case of staying on the field," Howard said. "I've got two legs."

That is Howard's big contention this time around. He admitted that, last season, his left leg begin to "nag" him at the end of spring, and never got any better. That nagging left leg is the same one in which Howard tore his Achilles at the end of the 2011 season.

He played his last game in 2014 on July 5, citing a meniscus tear in his left knee. Basically, Howard hit .266 with 11 homers on one fully healthy leg. He says it will be different this time.

To his credit, a few variables have changed in a year's time. One, Howard is noticeably skinnier. Before his meniscus surgery in July, Howard said he was around 260 pounds. Saturday, he said that weight is hovering between 245-250 pounds right now, and that he feels healthier than he has in a long time.

Another change will be his spring training schedule. Last season, former manager Charlie Manuel played Howard 14 times in 14 days, saying he wanted his first baseman to play his way into shape and get as many reps as possible.

"I wouldn't say he'll play the same string of games in a row for the fact that his weight is better and he's in better baseball shape right now," Sandberg said. "I think there will be a reasonable number of at-bats for him to get his stroke and adjust it as we go and see how things are going."

Howard will also have to improve against lefties. He has failed miserably against them in the last two seasons, hitting .173 with a .575 OPS. He thinks having two healthy legs will be a cure-all. And he doesn't want to think any further about that, as in the possibility of a platoon at first base should he struggle again this season against southpaws.

"Why would I think about it? That's negative," Howard said. "If I think negative, if I think I can't hit lefties, I might as well not go out there at all."

Howard will be the biggest factor in the Phillies' success or failure in 2014. They struggle without him in the starting lineup. Over the last two seasons, they went 77-63 when Howard starts. When he doesn't, their record was 77-105.

He has all the confidence in the world. Whether that confidence is realistic or delusional remains to be seen.

"Can't doubt yourself. If I doubt myself, nobody else will believe in me. I feel I'm capable of hitting 58 home runs. I feel that I'm capable of doing that every year," Howard said. "You never know what may happen."